What Is Nischa Don Maak’s Secret? Connecting Women, Creating Wings

I've known her for more than four years now.Damn. That's a long time. The more I think about this amazing woman, the more I want to understand her secret. She is Danish, but deeply international. Funny, but serious when it matters. Emotional, but practical. She stays up to date on trends, yet never loses herself in them.Her influence is real. Her advice works. And her philosophy of freedom, curiosity, and open-mindedness shaped my own understanding of Denmark when I was trying to find my place here.

By: Slava Denys

Photos: Val Khorishko, Styled by Ophelia Wu @The Intuitive Aesthetic Studio

Nischa Don Maak.

I've known her for more than four years now.

Damn. That's a long time.

The more I think about this amazing woman, the more I want to understand her secret.

She is Danish, but deeply international. Funny, but serious when it matters. Emotional, but practical. She stays up to date on trends, yet never loses herself in them.

Her influence is real. Her advice works. And her philosophy of freedom, curiosity, and open-mindedness shaped my own understanding of Denmark when I was trying to find my place here.

Whenever I talk to Nischa, I discover Denmark from a different angle. Not from textbooks,  politicians, or social media debates. From a human perspective, and from a Danish recruiter’s,  hiring manager’s, and business point of view.

Our latest conversation started with a simple topic: how to support foreigners in Denmark. But like most conversations with Nischa, it quickly became something bigger. A story about belonging, connection, and the art of building bridges.

And perhaps no one understands that better than the woman who created one of Denmark's largest communities for international women. Today, Career Club DK connects about 7000 women. But it started with a simple observation.

When Nischa Don Maak launched Career Club DK, she had no idea it would grow into one of Denmark's most vibrant communities for international women. In fact, she was convinced hardly anyone would come to the very first event. Expecting no more than 20 or 30 guests, she suddenly found herself serving twice as many women—and rushing out to buy more rød grød med fløde to make sure everyone was looked after.

That unexpected turnout became the first sign that something special was happening.

Today, Career Club DK has spent three consecutive years hosting Copenhagen's largest international women's empowerment event each March. Just as remarkably, the community continues to fill event venues month after month, bringing together women from around the world who are looking not only to grow professionally but also to find connection and belonging.

For Nischa, however, the true success of Career Club DK has never been measured by attendance figures. It is measured by the stories.

One of the initiatives closest to her heart is the mentorship programme. When it was launched, many women hesitated to become mentors because they didn't believe they were "career women enough" to guide someone else. Nearly four years later, those doubts have been replaced by countless success stories. Women have found jobs just days before their visas expired. Strangers have become lifelong friends. Many have built professional networks of their own instead of relying on their spouse's or family's connections. Members who landed jobs began recommending fellow Career Club DK women for interviews, creating a cycle of women opening doors for other women. Entrepreneurs discovered something equally valuable: an informal board of trusted advisors, opportunities to speak at events and visibility for their businesses that money simply can't buy.

As the community has grown, so has Nischa's perspective on her role within it.

"Career Club DK is no longer my business baby," she says. "It's a toddler now, running wild. We're all raising it together—as mothers, cool aunties and babysitters. Every woman who joins helps shape it with her own ideas, experiences and care."

That collective spirit has become the foundation of the community. Today, nearly 7,000 women from 96 countries are part of Career Club DK. Behind the scenes, 72 Associates and an Advisory Board of 26 women representing different cultures, industries, religions, career levels, sexual orientations, and life experiences work together with one shared purpose: to empower international women to build careers, confidence, and meaningful connections in Denmark.

Looking ahead, Nischa hopes Career Club DK will continue to be a place where women realise they don't have to navigate life in Denmark alone. She believes that one conversation, one introduction, or one friendship can change the course of someone's career, and sometimes their entire future. Her ambition isn't to build Denmark's biggest community, but one that creates genuine value. A place where every woman leaves with more confidence, a stronger network, and the feeling that she belongs. If, along the way, Career Club DK also helps build stronger bridges between internationals and Danes, Nischa believes the community will have achieved something even bigger than professional success.

Back in 2019, Nischa came across a result from the Expat Insider Survey. Denmark was ranked as one of the most difficult countries for internationals to find a sense of belonging. She is making a note: I was so embarrassed as a Dane. We call ourselves one of the happiest countries in the world, and then I found out that we live side by side with the world's 2nd most unhappy internationals, when it comes to belonging… I got the chills! That didn't match what she believed was possible. So she decided to do something about it. Not the traditional way through for example politics or reports. But through people. Career Club DK was born from the idea that women become stronger when uniting together. Today, thousands of women from all over the world (96 different countries) support each other through networking, career advice, friendships, events, and shared ups-and-downs experiences. She feels a balance between being proud of Denmark while also wanting Denmark to do better.

When I asked Nischa what newcomers should focus on when arriving in Denmark, I expected her to say the Danish language. Instead, she surprised me. "Networking is even more important." Her reasoning is simple. When you build a strong network around you, everything else becomes easier: the language, the culture, the unwritten rules, the job market, and the feeling that you belong. This way of thinking says a lot about Nischa herself. She doesn't see integration as an individual struggle. She sees it as a collective process. People helping people. Relationships open doors. Communities creating opportunities. And perhaps that is why so many international women feel at home in Career Club DK. Another point to this is that I keep saying that internationals are not only here to learn from the Danes. They are here to teach the Danes too. The fact that so many people from the wide world are here in boring Denmark is a treasure and gift that not enough Danes take advantage of

Of course, understanding Denmark also means understanding Danes. And Nischa is refreshingly honest about that. She believes one of the most challenging aspects of Danish culture is communication. Danes can be very direct. Sometimes too direct. Humour can be rough. Comments can sound blunt. Many Danes simply say what they think and move on, and those who are not blunt can instead be passive-aggressive or use irony, and that is even harder to understand. For people from cultures where communication is softer and more diplomatic, this can feel shocking or even hurtful. But behind that directness, Nischa sees something else. Danish freedom to think, to speak, to choose your own path. Clear communication can be a relief in a world full of too many words, too much AI, and too many feelings. 

In fact, when she describes Danish identity, three words immediately come to mind: 

Hygge.

Humour. 

Freedom. 

Not conformity. (not sure about this actually, Danes are very conform, just not as much as the Germans and Swedish people :- D )

Interestingly, Nischa believes Danes often make mistakes when trying to help internationals, one example is when trying to learn Danish. For years, she would switch to English whenever she heard someone struggling. She thought she was being polite, helpful, and inclusive. Then one day, internationals told her something she hadn't considered: by switching to English, she was accidentally taking away their chance to practise Danish. That insight instantly changed her behaviour.

It's a small example, but it reveals something important about her mindset. She listens, learns. And she changes her perspective when presented with a better one. The same openness appears when discussing friendship. Let's be honest, many foreigners say making Danish friends is difficult. Nischa agrees. But she adds something unexpected. "It's not even easy for me as a Dane." That answer made me laugh. Because it is probably one of the most Danish answers possible. No dramatic promises or false optimism. Just honesty: making friends takes time. For everyone (Danes included). 

The good news, according to Nischa, is that friendships often develop naturally through work, sports, hobbies, courses, and networks. And once real friendship appears, nationality becomes irrelevant. What matters is personality. Not where you were born. Not your passport. Not your accent. Just who you are and how you vibe.

As a Career Advisor, Nischa spends a lot of time helping internationals navigate the Danish job market. She often hears the same question: "What is the biggest red flag when hiring foreigners?" Her answer is surprisingly straightforward. Many employers simply wonder whether an international candidate plans to stay in Denmark for a long time. Hiring and training new employees takes time and money. Companies want stability. That is why something as simple as writing "Danish - Beginner" under languages on a CV can make a difference. Not because fluency is required, but because it tells them that Denmark is not just a pitstop on your world journey. 

But because it signals commitment. It tells employers: "I'm investing in my future here." "I'm planning to grow old with you here." It is exactly the kind of practical insight that has made Nischa such a trusted advisor for thousands of professionals.

In Denmark, Nischa explains, people often don't think of volunteering as volunteering. They call it a passion project. They join sports clubs, associations, communities, and cultural initiatives. They contribute because they care, not because they expect anything in return. In many ways, Career Club DK is exactly that. A passion project, a community, a place where thousands of women help each other move forward.

As our conversation came to an end, I found myself thinking again about the question that has followed me for years. What is Nischa's secret? Maybe it is simply her ability to connect worlds that often struggle to understand each other. Danes and internationals. Giving wings to women, inspiring them to dream of how to fly! 

And perhaps that is Nischa Don Maak's greatest achievement. Helping thousands of women realise that they don't have to build their lives in Denmark alone, as she says: "I've always believed that you have to build your own career. No one can do that for you. But there's no reason you should have to do it alone. That's what Career Club DK is about."

And of course, her sparkling smile is probably her real secret. The kind of smile that makes you feel welcome before a single word is spoken. She herself, as a joke, calls her approach unselfishly welcoming.